Third Edition Renaissance

[fdw3773]

4 hours ago, Pariah said:

 

I'm curious to see what you've done. I need to wait until I'm at an actual computer to look at the PDFs.

 

I think you've made some great suggestions. I've translated several of the characters from BBB to 3rd edition. My plan (or at least 12% of a plan) is to use the 3rd Ed character sheet--with the character picture--and print the origin, personality, quote, etc. on the back. One page, front and back, that's it.

 

Thanks! Attached is an example what I will most likely use at the next game convention if I run Champions, since I will likely use 5th Edition which most of the participants are familiar with and is my favorite in terms of resources and art design.

 

The character sheet I've developed is based off of player feedback that I mentioned earlier and some additional factors. Please also keep in mind that I only run Champions once or twice a year at the game conventions here in Omaha, NE, so I provide pre-generated characters that I adapted from the DC and Marvel Universe for players to use when they show up.

 

The factors are the following:

 

1) The players, especially new ones, liked having the statistics spelled out (Strength, Dexterity, and so on).

 

2) The players preferred having the character sheet organized into distinct sections: Characteristics, Health (STUN, BODY, END), Offense that listed OCV, DCV, ECV, SPD, Phases, and all of the attacks that character had in terms of powers, weapons, and martial art skills, Defense that listed Physical, Energy, Mental, Power, and Flash Defense ratings, then Powers & Equipment (Offensive powers are already listed in the previous section and are not listed twice), Skills, Talents, & Perks, then finally Disadvantages and points in Characters, Powers & Skills, Disadvantages, and total points so that the players know that 364-point Cyclops is going to need backup when he's going up against 900+ point Apocalypse. This also made it really easy for them to find the information and decide what action to take for their respective characters.

 

3) The players were not interested in things like "Powers and Tactics," and "Quotes." If I was running an ongoing campaign, then the player may want to develop those areas as flavor text to really give his or her character some depth. Also, the background information was minimal in general, a short paragraph or two at most. For example, players who wanted to play Spider-Man at my table were not interested in reading every minute detail of his backstory beyond that Peter Parker became a crimefighter stemming from guilt due to his role in the death of his beloved Uncle Ben who taught him, "With great power comes great responsibility."

 

The character template is in Microsoft Word that I input manually using the information from the Hero Designer PDF after I complete a character writeup. If it's something you'd like to use, please let me know and I'll coordinate emailing a blank template to you.

 

 

Cyclops.pdf

[Spence]

27 minutes ago, fdw3773 said:

The character template is in Microsoft Word that I input manually using the information from the Hero Designer PDF after I complete a character writeup.

 

Great sheet, you should upload the template in the downloads section.

 

Since this is a Hero forum you knew this was coming

 

Maybe add something like (1 END per 1d6) and (1 END per 10 STR) into the power and Strength lines as a quick reference for the players.

[Duke Bushido]

45 minutes ago, Spence said:

 

Great sheet, you should upload the template in the downloads section.

 

 

 

Agreed;  that _is_ a nice sheet! 😳

 

 

[fdw3773]

Thanks for the kind feedback. The template is uploaded in the Downloads section, Hero System 5th Edition for your use.

 

 

[Pariah]

Those templates are all very nice! Great work!

[Pariah]

I got a sudden inspiration yesterday and had to build this character. Her name is Flux, and she's the PRIMUS agent assigned to work with Campaign City's superheroes.

 

[starblaze]

Really like the look.

[Pariah]

18 minutes ago, starblaze said:

Really like the look.

 

Thanks! Hero Machine 3 still isn't intuitive to me, but every once in a while I can get something useful.

 

The fact is that I've get a character I'm wanting to build and post, but I haven't been able to make a decent picture yet. 

[Pariah]

Flux's fellow PRIMUS officer and frequent partner, Black Bow.

 

[Pariah]

This is a character I wrote up a long time ago, but never had an origin story for. Now she has one.  I give you... Crystal.

 

[Chris Goodwin]

Your +5" of Running should have an END cost of 1 (3e p. 32), unless you're marking the total END cost for her total 11" Running, which would be 2.

 

I really ought to try to work some more on my 3rd edition rules template for Hero Designer.  That would probably prove helpful! 

[Pariah]

23 minutes ago, Chris Goodwin said:

Your +5" of Running should have an END cost of 1 (3e p. 32), unless you're marking the total END cost for her total 11" Running, which would be 2.

 

Yeah, the 2 END represents the total amount. When I transfer these (someday) to more conventional character sheets, that's how it'll show.

[starblaze]

How do you use the spreadsheet program to create Iron Man type characters?  It looks beyond my understanding.

[starblaze]

How do you create a character sheet out of this file?

[Chris Goodwin]

10 hours ago, starblaze said:

How do you create a character sheet out of this file?

 

If you're asking about my Google spreadsheet, I on my phone right now and will explain later.  The short version is, a lot of copying and pasting.

[Chris Goodwin]

I'm at a computer now, so I can write up a bit more.  

 

My 3rd edition spreadsheet has a number of separate sheets.  The ones you'll be interested in are: 

• Character Data:  Enter your name, character's name, secret identity.  You can alter the Base Points value, but don't alter any of the others; they're all populated from the other sheets.  
• Characteristics:  This should look familiar and somewhat self explanatory.  You can change the Characteristic values (cells A3 through A16) and it will automatically calculate costs and Figured Characteristic bases.  The Figured Characteristic values themselves automatically populate from the figured bases, but you can change these as well, and it will correctly calculate costs.  Don't alter any of the other numbers on the sheet.  Points spent on Characteristics here will automatically update on the Character Data sheet.
• Powers & Skills:  These are all freeform entry.  You can type in values here, and the points will add up and update the appropriate values on the Character Data sheet.  However, this is also set up so that you can copy and paste values in from the...
• Complete Power Builder:  This is the meat and potatoes of the spreadsheet here.  There are a couple of different sections:
  • Book Writeup and Character Sheet Writeup:  Don't alter these.  They automatically populate from the sections below.  If I've done everything right, they should generate a nice looking writeup that is suitable for a character sheet, or that looks like the 5th and 6th edition power writeups from the books!
  • Power Selector:  The interesting parts are:
    • Power or Adder:  Click that dropdown and select the desired Power.  It should automatically populate some of the other fields; leave those alone.  You can also delete the value here, and it will automatically depopulate any of the other fields that are dependent on it. 
      • Cost:  This is automatically populated, and is the cost per unit (if the Power takes units) or for the base Power (if not).  
      • Units?:  This is automatically populated, and should be True or False.  If True, the Power is built with units of some kind (d6, DEF, inches, etc.).  If False, it's a single buy (such as with the all-or-nothing Enhanced Senses).  
      • Bonus or Penalty?:  This is automatically populated; don't alter it.  Values should be Bonus, Penalty, Neither, or blank (which is treated as Neither).  If it's a Bonus, then it prints that way on the character sheet (such as +5" Running).  If it's a Penalty, then it prints that way as well (such as -4 to opponents' PER Rolls).  If Neither or blank, it's just a number.
      • Adder is Called:  Automatically populated.  Is it called d6, DEF, ", levels, something else?  That will populate here.  
      • How Many Units:  If it's a Power that takes units of some kind (such as d6, DEF, inches of movement, etc.) enter a number in here for how many you want to buy.  If Units? is False, the number here will be ignored. 
      • Selected:  For the Power and Secondary Unit (if applicable) lines, these are automatically True, and left blank.  For the Adders, these are checkboxes that you can select or not.
      • Secondary Unit:  If the Power has some kind of secondary unit that is the same number of units as the primary (such as, with Entangle, d6 and DEF) that will be populated here.  
      • Total Cost:  This is the total base cost for the basic Power and any units or adders that you've bought.  
      • Adders 1-6:  Don't alter anything that comes up in the "Power or Adder" column.  If these are blank, they'll be ignored.  If not, they'll be options you can choose with the Power.  For defensive Powers that include PD and ED (Armor, Force Field), those will show up here, and you can, for instance, choose amounts separately (and Units? are TRUE for these).  For others (such as Invisibility) that you can buy separate non-unit options for, those will show up with Units? as FALSE.  If you want to buy one of these Adders, you'll need to put a check in its checkbox in the Selected column.
      • Adders 7-15:  You can alter these as you see fit.  If there are options you want to add, or custom Powers you want to use, you can fill in the adders here.  For these, Units? has a checkbox for TRUE or FALSE.  Bonus or Penalty? has a dropdown for Bonus, Penalty, or Neither.  For Adder is called, enter its name here.  How many units? is only relevant if you've checked the Units? checkbox; if so, enter some number here.  If you want to buy the Adder, you'll need to check its checkbox in the Selected column.  
    • Modifier Selector:  This prepopulates some of its fields from above, and you choose some from dropdowns.  More explanation follows:
      • Name:  This is the name of your Power.  If you've played 5th/6th editions, you're used to naming your Powers.  This is alterable by you, and is optional but recommended.
      • Power:  Populated from the Power Selector; don't change it.  If you need to call it something else mechanically, or if you've chosen one of the Custom Powers and need to call it something else, the empty space directly below the prepopulated Power is for that; if you enter something else in here, it will call it that in the writeup.  
      • Notes:  Prepopulated from the Power Selector.  It tells you what you've bought, any adders, levels, units, and so on.  Don't change this.
      • Base Cost:  Prepopulated from the Power Selector.  Don't change this. 
      • Advantages:  These are dropdowns.  Choose the desired Advantages from the list.  You can choose Custom Advantages, in which case you'll need...
      • Advantage Alt Text:  Enter something in here, and it will overwrite the Advantage name in the writeup.  If you choose a Custom Advantage, but need it to be called something else, you'll call it that here.  If you leave it blank, it will use whatever the name of the Advantage you chose.
      • Advantage Parenthetical Text:  Enter something in here, and it will add it as a note in parentheses.  This is more commonly used with Limitations, but exists here if you need it. 
      • Advantage Value:  Populates automatically.  Don't change this.  Displays in second-gen format (+X for Advantages).  
      • Active Points:  Populates automatically.  Calculates based on the standard rules.  Don't change this. 
      • Modifiers:  Currently the only Modifier you can choose is Reduced END Cost.  Modifiers Value, Modified Points, and END Cost are automatically populated as well; don't change these.  (Special note: there is no "modifier intelligence", so you can do something weird like choose Reduced END Cost and Increased END Cost.  I recommend against doing that, as the numbers will likely not be what you expect.)
      • Limitations:  Choose the Limitation from the dropdown box.  The fields following that (Limitation Alt Text, Limitation Parenthetical Text, Limitation Value) work similarly to the above.  Limitation Alt Text is primarily for Limited Power.  Limitation Parenthetical Text lets you, for instance, enter the name of your Focus, so that it shows up as "OIF (gun, -1/2)".  Limitation Value is prepopulated, and likewise uses second-gen notation (such as -1/2 for OIF).  
      • Real Cost:  Calculated from the Active Points and Limitations as you'd expect.
      • Cost Multiplier:  If this is blank, it's treated as 1.  If there's a number here, the multiplier is listed in the writeup (above).  Ordinarily you'd leave this blank, but it's used in a few very specific cases: Enhanced Senses, for instance.  
  • Once you've built your Power, scroll back up to Book Writeup and Character Sheet Writeup.  You can copy the Book Writeup text and pasted it into a document elsewhere.  Or, for the Character Sheet Writeup, you can select the values under Cost, Power, and END, copy those, then switch back to the Powers & Skills tab, highlight a cell in the Cost column there, then do "Paste Values Only" with ctrl-shift-V, or right-click and select Paste Special, then Paste Values Only.  Once you've done all of that, then you can switch back to the Character Data tab, and it will have updated your total cost.  
• Disadvantages:  If you've changed your base points value on the Character Data sheet, then it will populate the column with the value you've chosen!  Otherwise it defaults to 100.  I meant to put in a Disadvantages builder, but never got around to it, so you'll need to manually build these.  The "100+" column, or whatever your base points are, is the point value of the Disadvantage, and the Disadvantage is the full text of the Disad.  It's all freeform.  

After the above, there are two additional tabs that don't (yet) do anything: Multipower Builder and Elemental Control Builder.  If you want either of those, you'll have to work them out by hand.  Many of the tabs beyond those are locked (and contain data to populate the above sheets from) or were never completed or abandoned, and can be safely ignored.  

 

Any other questions, post!  I read this thread, so you can post them here, or you can post elsewhere on the boards, or you can private message me here as well.

[Chris Goodwin]

The recommended usage is to save a copy of the spreadsheet to your own Google Drive and use it from there.  Before using it, you'll likely want to make a separate copy of that, and give it the name of your character.  For each Power, you'll want to right-click and Duplicate the Complete Power Builder sheet, then right-click and Rename the duplicate to the name of the Power.  This will let you save and later modify the Powers at will.  

 

At some point there was supposed to be a sheet that was a full character sheet, that would automatically populate from all of the other filled out data sheets, but I never got around to that.  That's one of the things I want to eventually add, along with the Multipower, Elemental Control, and Disadvantage builders.  

[Pariah]

On 6/19/2019 at 9:20 AM, Pariah said:

Here's a character I originally built for my youngest brother, but always kind of wanted to play myself. (This version is better than the one I built for him.  ) 

 

He helped build an armored suit that his superior stole and used to become a supervillain. So now he's built one of his own to bring the guy to justice. He is:

 

Bronze Guardian

 

Here's a different picture. I like this one better.

 

[Pariah]

Here's a character I created a lot of years ago for a campaign that never got off the ground. She's a former PSI operative and non-telepath named Lotus.

 

[fdw3773]

In addition to the simplified 5th Edition character sheet template, I also adapted Champions: The New Millennium format that uses the Hero System statistics instead of the Fuzion system. I think it came out well and looks less compressed than the other, but I'll let you determine for yourself.

 

If you like it, please let me know and I'll post it in the downloads areas as well. 😉

Supergirl.pdf

[Pariah]

Those of you who have been following the DC Animated HeroMachine thread probably knew this was coming.

 

 

WebGirl!

 

[GreaterThanOne]

On 1/8/2019 at 12:33 PM, pinecone said:

I've been backing a Kickstarter that is trying to redo Champions building up from 3rd. I am hoping it works out.

Ron Edwards? I'm sure it will be fun whatever he does. 

[GreaterThanOne]

From an old player that recently came back...

 

Last time I played Champions was 3rd edition around 1989 or 1990. Champions was the only Superhero system I would really consider playing back then. I won't speak ill of others but there was a lot of really bad superhero games and Champions felt "right" in that it captured the feel for a variety of reasons. I don't know if that generalization remains true. I never used HERO for anything else however except a failed attempt at a Middle-Earth "conversion" from my huge collection of ICE modules with some of the best maps and plots I had seen.  

 

That being said, I really like 6th Edition. I was able to pick it up and basically understand it quickly without any confusion, no doubt in part because of my familiarity with 3rd edition. I feel it is a lot more balanced in many ways (though we can always find ways to cheese the system) and feels much more logical and consistent across the board. What struck me as I was reading was that it is much, much better now for non-super games or the creation of really anything from the get-go. Some of this is just from the community's maturity. There are a lot of resources and a lot of people have already invented the wheel for us but the rules cover a phenomenal amount of information much of which player's actually don't even need to know and may even be detrimental in the short term. The complexity can be on the "Back End" so to say. 

 

Now I missed the 4th Edition and 5th Editions completely in my 30 year hiatus so there is a lot I don't know but it's pretty amazing how similar the games really are. I was honestly expecting it to be much different but I am very glad it is not.

 

A few details of the modern books are that the digital format should include in text links and a back button. With the enormous amount of necessary cross-referencing sometimes it can be a real bitch to get an entire concept in. I'm not a big fan of Power's Section that you have to jump back and forth between; it feels clunky. The other is that I think the "Rules" should be Free Like Beer or Free With The Purchase Of and the character creation replacing the rules section in the genre books but  that is 100% as a consumer not a publisher. I am sure they had very long and complete discussions on that and made decisions based on that. 

 

The coolest thing is that I can look at the oldest character sheet or a brand new one and get an excellent idea of what the creator was aiming for and a general sense of overall "Power". Few games can do that. I can use almost any material from 3rd edition with little change and most of them for clarity and balance.

 

As an example someone posted the characters from the Global Guardians PBEM on the FB HERO System Fan Page and we can recreate them in any of the editions fairly easily how many systems can say that?

 

Well I have to go to sleep. Enjoy your campaign and Flux is my favorite so far. 

 

 

[starblaze]

One thing I do love about Champions is how unchanged it has been over the years since 1st edition.

[Pariah]

This week's heroine: Estrellita ('little star')!